"An original DBZ game with custom attacks!"

mGraphics: 7/10
Sound Effects: 5/10
Music: 7/10
Originality: 8/10
Play Control: 7/10
Group Enjoyment: 5/10
Individual Enjoyment: 6/10
Challenge: 9/10
Ending: 7/10
Overall: 7/10


Ah, the next Dragon Ball game for the Famicom/Nintendo. Unlike what most people thought this game was, it was NOT the next game in the chronological order. People have been referring to this game as ''The Battle Against Cell'' which is NOT true, since (although that IS what the next game was going to be), this game was created along with the Playdia system's games. They both share the same plot, too: Gokuu, Gohan, Piccolo, Trunks, and Vegita have to save the world from the evil Dr. What's-his-name (not really…I just don't remember his name) from his evil machines. These machines produce a gas that will slowly kill everyone on Earth. During the conflict, though, everyone has forgotten how to use their special abilities! What will happen to Earth? And what do I mean by ''What are those villains of the past doing here''?


Good Points:
This is an...interesting game. Instead of using one attack with each card, each card is an attack itself, and you make combos with them. If you get the right combo, you can do a super attack, like Gokuu's Kamehame-Ha or Piccolo's Mankaksopoppo. But that's a little annoying, since you should be able to use it right off the bat. After figuring out how to use it, though, you can look at what the combination is in your menu, and it doesn't take any special ''MPs'' or whatever to use it over and over. The game's plot is the same as the plot for the Playdia system's Anime games of the same title (this game was split into 2 for it).


Bad Points:
Well, this one just isn't as fun to play. The Special attacks don't look that neat, and the attacks aren't that special, either. And you don't fly back and forth in the background like the previous 3 DBZ RPGs for the Famicom! This game is confusing, and, as an added minus, you can't build levels by fighting! You have to get lucky to get an item, and the enemies just keep on coming. The fights are just irritating after a while, too.


General Ratings:

Graphics: Although the fights are neat, since you get to choose which attacks you're going to use specifically, the attacks ARE kinda short, and the special attacks have been reduced from the cinematic blasts in DBZ 3 to THIS. Oh well…it's still great looking.

Sound: Ho hum. Average is all I can say. Yep. Completely average. There's nothing to say after that. Normal. Acceptable. What was expected. Whatever. The end.

Music: Good. Not great, not mediocre, but good.

Originality: First of all, it's a Dragon Ball game with an ORIGINAL PLOT. This is one of the ONLY ones to have that (if you want to count Super Butoden 2, or Barcode Battler, or Famicom Jump). Then you have the battle system, which is completely different than what we expected. And I'm just going to mention the plot again, in case you missed me saying it before.

Play Control: Come on, do I even have to mention this? It's a bleedin' RPG! There's really nothing involved, except for the mini games (catch Mr. Popo and the Mummy, Blastin' stuff, etc).

Enjoyment: Well, this game isn't very fun to watch, unless you really, REALLY like Dragon Ball. Playing the game by yourself is better, but some of what you're supposed to do can get confusing.

Challenge: Unlike all the previous DBZ games, you can't level up in this one simply by fighting large numbers of enemies. And there's no consistent way of getting items to heal yourself, either! You have to stop halfway to your destination to go heal, and then return, only to get beat up on the way there, and then have to leave again! Very frustrating.

Ending: It certainly is an INTERESTING ending. It's not from the show, so that definitely means it's original!


Overall:
Overall, this game is good. The graphics are great, as is the plot. The only frustrating factors are the challenge (and the frequency of the enemies), and the fact that it could very well take you forever (and a couple of days) to figure out the special moves for each character. Other than that, buy this game whenever you get the chance, because it's VERY rare.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 04/07/00, Updated 04/07/00